Born into a life of status and privilege, the 3rd-century virgin-martyr Christina of Tyre (July 24/ Aug 6) was converted to Christ through an angel. She roused the swift wrath of her idol-loving parents by smashing her own idols and declaring her new faith. She escaped many attempted executions initiated by her hate-filled father. With each of her tortures, more souls were converted to Christ until finally, she inherited the crown of martyrdom.
The prayers of St Anna (Dormition July 25/ Aug 7) are invoked for conceiving children and for help in difficult childbirth.
“O Godly-minded Anna, thou didst give birth unto God’s pure Mother who conceived Him Who is our Life. Wherefore, thou hast now passed with joy to thy heavenly rest, wherein is the abode of them that rejoice in glory; and thou askest forgiveness of sins for them that honour thee with love, O ever-blessed one.” —Troparion for The Dormition of St Anna, Tone 4
“O Godly-minded Anna, thou didst give birth unto God’s pure Mother who conceived Him Who is our Life. Wherefore, thou hast now passed with joy to thy heavenly rest, wherein is the abode of them that rejoice in glory; and thou askest forgiveness of sins for them that honour thee with love, O ever-blessed one.” —Troparion for The Dormition of St Anna, Tone 4
There is some joyful news from Ukraine— from amidst the daily illegal government attacks, false charges, and arrests of clergy of the canonical Church (UOC).
His Eminence Metropolitan Pavel of Vyshgorod and Chernobyl has been released on bail. The faithful have raised the exorbitant amount set for Met. Pavel, who oversaw the complete restoration of the holy monastery after the years of godless communism.
The Church in Ukraine is now under constant attack from the new enemy, the Kiev political regime. Violent schismatics continue collude with local civil authorities throughout Ukraine to illegally seize church buildings from the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
His Eminence Metropolitan Pavel of Vyshgorod and Chernobyl has been released on bail. The faithful have raised the exorbitant amount set for Met. Pavel, who oversaw the complete restoration of the holy monastery after the years of godless communism.
The Church in Ukraine is now under constant attack from the new enemy, the Kiev political regime. Violent schismatics continue collude with local civil authorities throughout Ukraine to illegally seize church buildings from the canonical Ukrainian Orthodox Church.
Forwarded from OrthoChristian
Orthodox Christianity
Abbot of Kiev Caves Lavra released after months of house arrest and detention
Finally, after months of being unjustly held under round-the-clock house arrest and then in a detention center, the abbot of the Kiev Caves Lavra has been released on bail.
Prayer for a Sick Person
Jesus Christ, my Lord and Saviour, You became man and died on the cross for our salvation. You are the source of life and healing. Visit (name), Lord and grant (him/her) strength to bear the sickness with which (he/she) is afflicted, with patience, submission to Your will and trust in Your loving care. Bless the means used for (his/her) recovery and those who administer them. Grant that (his/her) sickness may be to (his/her) spiritual benefit and that (he/she) may live the rest of (his/her) life more faithfully according to Your will. For You are the source of life and healing and to You we give praise and glory, now and forever. Amen.
Jesus Christ, my Lord and Saviour, You became man and died on the cross for our salvation. You are the source of life and healing. Visit (name), Lord and grant (him/her) strength to bear the sickness with which (he/she) is afflicted, with patience, submission to Your will and trust in Your loving care. Bless the means used for (his/her) recovery and those who administer them. Grant that (his/her) sickness may be to (his/her) spiritual benefit and that (he/she) may live the rest of (his/her) life more faithfully according to Your will. For You are the source of life and healing and to You we give praise and glory, now and forever. Amen.
Moses prefigured the Cross
“Lifting up the rod, he stretched out his hand and split the Sea for Israel to cross on land. Then he stretched it out again, and the sea returned and covered Pharaoh's chariots. The Cross was thus portrayed as our invincible armor. So let us sing to the Lord, Christ our God, for He is greatly glorified.”
—Katavasias of the Cross, Ode i. Mode pl. 4 on the commemoration of the Procession of the Precious Wood of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord (Aug 1/ Aug 14)
“Lifting up the rod, he stretched out his hand and split the Sea for Israel to cross on land. Then he stretched it out again, and the sea returned and covered Pharaoh's chariots. The Cross was thus portrayed as our invincible armor. So let us sing to the Lord, Christ our God, for He is greatly glorified.”
—Katavasias of the Cross, Ode i. Mode pl. 4 on the commemoration of the Procession of the Precious Wood of the Life-giving Cross of the Lord (Aug 1/ Aug 14)
O Lord, I know not what to ask of You. You alone know what are my true needs. You love me more than I myself know how to love.
Help me to see my real needs which are concealed from me.
I dare not ask either a cross or a consolation.
I can only wait on You.
My heart is open to You.
Visit and help me, for Your great mercy's sake.
Strike me and heal me, cast me down and raise me up.
I worship in silence Your holy will and Your inscrutable ways.
I offer myself as a sacrifice to You.
I put all my trust in You.
I have no other desire than to fulfill Your will. Teach me how to pray.
Pray Yourself in me. Amen.
+St Philaret Metropolitan of Moscow, A prayer
Help me to see my real needs which are concealed from me.
I dare not ask either a cross or a consolation.
I can only wait on You.
My heart is open to You.
Visit and help me, for Your great mercy's sake.
Strike me and heal me, cast me down and raise me up.
I worship in silence Your holy will and Your inscrutable ways.
I offer myself as a sacrifice to You.
I put all my trust in You.
I have no other desire than to fulfill Your will. Teach me how to pray.
Pray Yourself in me. Amen.
+St Philaret Metropolitan of Moscow, A prayer
Is not it sad and horrifying to see people who swear so much that it has become a habit for them? Or to hear foul language from a schoolboy and listen to his surprised response to our reaction: "They all talk like that in my school!" Can you imagine how far we can all go when profanity becomes the norm?
... We cannot have a life unless we keep beauty and purity in our families. What kind of family is it where people cheat on one another?
What kind of children would grow up in a family with no honesty, fidelity or love?
... We cannot have a life unless we keep beauty and purity in our families. What kind of family is it where people cheat on one another?
What kind of children would grow up in a family with no honesty, fidelity or love?
Some might say, "What you say used to be true in the past, but times have changed, and we are living our lives differently." Are we? And can we call it a life? There is no way we can avoid these nagging questions. So let’s try hard to raise our children in purity and beauty, to resist the spirit of the time and its mass-produced temptations that corrupt and enslaves people and robs them of their ability to give and receive love, emotion and beauty. The threat of us turning into pure materialists and physiological beings looms high, so we should take care. For if we do not, all mystery and wonder in our lives will be gone, and all its goodness will be defiled by sin.
--Archpriest Andrey Lemeshonok
https://obitel-minsk.org/first-seek-gods-love
--Archpriest Andrey Lemeshonok
https://obitel-minsk.org/first-seek-gods-love
During prayer at home and at church against the craftiness of the Devil, and the distraction of your thoughts, remind yourself of the simplicity of truth, and say to yourself: “simply,” I believe in everything that I ask in the simplicity of my heart, and ask for everything simply; whilst all mine enemy’s - craftiness, blasphemies, abomination, and illusions - I renounce.”
My Life in Christ ☦️ St. John of Kronstadt
My Life in Christ ☦️ St. John of Kronstadt
Through the wonder-working prayers of St Nonna (Aug 5/ Aug 19), mother of St Gregory the Theologian, her husband Gregory had a dream vision in his sleep. St Gregory wrote that by his mother’s prayers, his father had a dream in which “it seemed as though he was singing the following verse of David: I was glad when they said of me, let us go into the house of the Lord (Ps. 121: 1). The singing itself was unprecedented, and moreover with the singing was actually the desire to do so!”
The elder Gregory went to the First Council at Nicea, where he made known his conversion to Christ and was ordained presbyter and then bishop of Nazianzus and devoted himself totally to the Church. After the elder Bishop Gregory reposed at age one hundred, Saint Nonna almost never emerged from the church, dying at prayer in the temple on 5 August 374.
The elder Gregory went to the First Council at Nicea, where he made known his conversion to Christ and was ordained presbyter and then bishop of Nazianzus and devoted himself totally to the Church. After the elder Bishop Gregory reposed at age one hundred, Saint Nonna almost never emerged from the church, dying at prayer in the temple on 5 August 374.
Pray for victims of recent attacks against Christians in Pakistan, as well as the protection of St. John of Shanghai Orthodox community. The community is located close to Jaranwala, where alleged violations of Islamic anti-blasphemy laws have led to violence against Christians, their homes and churches in Jaranwala. 200 Christian houses, 21 churches, and a large number of Holy Bibles were destroyed.
https://orthochristian.com/155552.html
https://orthochristian.com/155552.html
Holy Apostle Matthias (Aug 9/ Aug 22) of the 70 Apostles, was chosen by lot to replace Judas Iscariot of the 12 Apostles.
Angry pagans once forced the saint to drink poison. It not only failed to harm him but he went about healing others who had been blinded by the potion.
Using the prophecies of the Old Testament, the Apostle Matthias demonstrated that Jesus Christ is the True God, the long-awaited Messiah. This declaration ensured his martyrdom. The Apostle Matthias received the martyr’s crown after being stoned in the year 63.
Angry pagans once forced the saint to drink poison. It not only failed to harm him but he went about healing others who had been blinded by the potion.
Using the prophecies of the Old Testament, the Apostle Matthias demonstrated that Jesus Christ is the True God, the long-awaited Messiah. This declaration ensured his martyrdom. The Apostle Matthias received the martyr’s crown after being stoned in the year 63.